We can't imagine Bloch without Sandie Windsor-Richards, the National Manager of Dance Products & Services at Bloch. If you need to know anything about Bloch and its products, Sandie is the go-to woman. She has been the heart of the team for many years, when asked how long she's been at Bloch for she'll tell you "since the last century!" 

Tell us about your experience in dance
I won the Surrey County Scholarship to Elmhurst Ballet School and then transferred my scholarship to The Arts Educational School in London where I danced in two Winter Seasons before emigrating to Australia and retiring through injury.

Why did you choose to work at Bloch? 
I had intermittent sales experience working in a fashion store in London and when I saw an advert from Bloch needing a sales assistant I thought "here's my new job".

What is your favourite thing about working at Bloch?
I'd have to say Product, which is always exciting when we have new and innovative shoes and dance wear to launch. We have great teams here in our stores, in head office and our warehouse and I enjoy working with my colleagues and being in the dance industry. Meeting teachers and watching young students who grow up to be talented and astonishing dancers with careers around the world is especially rewarding knowing Bloch has been with them on their dance journey.

What is your ultimate Bloch product?
That's too hard a question as it's usually the latest and the newest but if pushed I would have to say a pointe shoe. Which one? That would be telling!!

What is your first memory of dance?
I was about 5 years old and my ballet teacher - a lovely tall, red headed lady named Julia Cross decided I should be a daisy in the end of year concert! So I had a white tutu, green ballet shoes and a yellow cap and I was one of four kneeling down with our heads together. My feet were facing the audience and I was very concerned the audience would see the frills on my knickers!

What is your favourite quote?
From my grandmother - "Don't put off to tomorrow what you can do today".

What is your favourite dance work?
That is the most difficult question, but it would definitely be a classical story ballet. Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake comes to mind immediately as well as Onegin.

Your most embarrassing dance moment 
That's easy, in an old theatre in Doncaster (UK) in a grande jete en tournant, my landing foot hit a metal electrical plate on the stage (it was an old theatre!) and I landed flat on my face with my romantic tutu skirt over my head and again my back side facing the audience. Immediate thought was I'll stay here and have to be carried off but in a nano second I was up and carried on ...as one does!

What/who inspired you to start dancing?
I have no idea except I wanted to be with my best friend who had started ballet and I just loved it.

What would you love to try?
I would like to go ballooning one day.

What motivates you at 8am on a Monday morning?
I've never had any problems with getting up and going to work, motivation is just getting the job done!

What was the last song you listened to?
Whatever was on the radio in the car this morning...

A phrase you use far too often...
You'd have to ask my partner/colleagues but maybe "here's some trivia for you..."

What would surprise people about you?
I used to play the spoons but it's a lost skill as I lost my spoons and I make a pretty good omelette!